Chapter 9: Why Is There A Need For Such Trouble

Great Li Capital.

Exquisite Pavilion.

As the largest restaurant within the capital, the Exquisite Pavilion was packed with people every day.

Out-of-town guests, local guests.

Whenever given the chance, who wouldn't want to taste the dishes of the Exquisite Pavilion?

Clack!

In the center of the restaurant, on a constructed high platform,

a storyteller was vividly telling a "story" with a beaming expression.

"It is said that ten years ago, within the Great Zen Temple, a Buddhist Holy Land, a Buddha Child was born. This Buddha Child possessed Innate knowledge and the appearance of all Buddhas."

"It is said that at that time, the Buddha's golden body manifested over the Great Zen Temple, and the golden light covered a radius of tens of li. Under the illumination of the golden light, the chronic illnesses within the bodies of many commoners dissipated."

"Now ten years have passed, that Buddha Child—"

The storyteller stopped abruptly at this point, cupped his hands, and said, "Respected patrons, that is all for today. If you wish to know how this young Buddha Child is doing now, please come back tomorrow."

As soon as these words were spoken,

the many guests in the venue instantly let out sighs of disappointment.

They were listening intently and wanted to know what had happened to this Buddha Child, only for the storyteller to cut it off right here.

Who could bear this?

"This is your reward, keep going."

A rough, burly man took out a lump of silver and threw it onto the high platform.

The other patrons successively threw out some copper coins and other valuables.

"Hehe, thanks to the appreciation of the patrons, I shall continue."

Seeing this, the storyteller chuckled and immediately sat back down.

If one wanted to tell a good story, they had to cut it off at the right spot to arouse the patrons' curiosity. Otherwise, how could they make money?

This storyteller was clearly well-versed in this method. After putting away the silver and money on the high platform, he continued speaking.

"Calculating his age, that Buddha Child should be in his early teens. Naturally, he is currently reading Buddhist scriptures and studying Buddhist dharma within the Great Zen Temple—"

The storyteller unfolded his paper fan and said, shaking his head.

"Boo—"

Many guests could not help but let out a hiss of dissatisfaction.

They still wanted to hear what astonishing feats that Buddha Child would perform next, but this was all?

However, upon careful thought, everyone felt it was reasonable. A child in his early teens, no matter how high his Buddha-nature, what could he possibly do?

As for the auspicious signs the storyteller mentioned earlier, eighty percent of them were probably fabricated just to catch people's eyes.

What everyone in the restaurant did not notice was that,

at a spot near the corner, a young monk dressed in a grey monk's robe revealed a strange expression on his face.

"Have I been written into a storybook?"

Lin Yuan shook his head slightly.

He didn't find anything strange about this.

The Great Zen Temple was a Buddhist Holy Land and a grand sect of the martial Dao in the world.

His every move would naturally attract attention from the outside world, especially since he had been taken in as a Disciple by a Grandmaster like the Long-browed Old Monk.

There were definitely many pairs of eyes watching.

Coupled with the fact that the Abbot and Abbots did not intend to seal off the news,

after a long time, through distortions in transmission, various versions of rumors naturally appeared.

Lin Yuan tasted the food of this world inside the Exquisite Pavilion,

then got up, left some silver, and walked out.

On the street paved with bluestone slabs, people came and went, and the peddlers' shouts could be heard everywhere.

Lin Yuan walked among them without standing out too much.

However, as Lin Yuan kept walking deeper into the capital,

the pedestrians on the road became fewer and fewer, while patrolling soldiers increased.

Until he walked up to a tall city gate, where dozens of soldiers with not-weak auras guarded the place with sharp gazes.

Behind the city gate was the Great Li Imperial Palace, the absolute core of a Dynasty.

Even standing outside the palace, one could faintly see the magnificent and beautiful palaces within.

At this very moment,

a carriage drove leisurely out from the imperial palace.

Seeing this, the gate-guarding soldiers immediately stepped back a section to make way.

Inside the carriage, a middle-aged monk dressed in a crimson kasaya was rubbing the space between his eyebrows.

The current Empress Dowager of Great Li revered Buddhism and frequently invited eminent monks into the palace.

This middle-aged monk in a crimson kasaya was an eminent monk of considerable renown in recent years, deeply valued and favored by the Empress Dowager.

Every ten days to half a month, he would be invited into the imperial palace.

"Lately, the Empress Dowager's questions have become increasingly tricky."

The middle-aged monk frowned, feeling somewhat troubled.

"It should be time to leave the palace now."

The middle-aged monk reached out and lifted the carriage curtain.

He glanced around casually.

But with this glance, the middle-aged monk's pupils shrank.

"That is—"

The middle-aged monk stared at the young monk standing not far away, feeling somewhat startled and uncertain.

"Buddha Child?"

The middle-aged monk came from the Great Zen Temple. Although he had stayed in the capital of Great Li for more than a decade,

he constantly maintained contact with the Great Zen Temple. Several years ago, the Great Zen Temple sent a portrait of the Buddha Child, instructing the middle-aged monk to firmly remember it and obey orders upon seeing him.

And that portrait was nearly identical to the young monk not far away.

Thinking of this, the middle-aged monk hurriedly stepped down from the carriage and came before Lin Yuan.

"Buddha Child?"

The middle-aged monk asked tentatively.

"Do you know me?"

Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow.

"Twenty years ago, I was also a monk of the Great Zen Temple."

The middle-aged monk stated his identity with just this single sentence.

"I see."

Lin Yuan nodded slightly.

The Great Zen Temple was a Buddhist Holy Land, and its influence was not restricted to Shaoshi Mountain.

The Pudu Temple that Lin Yuan had passed by earlier, as well as the middle-aged monk before him, were manifestations of this.

"I wonder what brings the Buddha Child to this capital?"

The middle-aged monk asked curiously.

Before seeing Lin Yuan, he had not received any news from the Great Zen Temple.

Clearly, Lin Yuan's coming here was unknown even to the Abbot and Abbots of the Great Zen Temple.

Otherwise, it would be absolutely impossible for them not to notify him.

"I wish to enter the Martial Hall of the imperial palace for a look."

Lin Yuan said.

The Martial Hall of the Great Li Imperial Palace was the place where countless martial arts Secret Manuals of the world were stored.

Years ago, the Great Li Founder secured the realm and placed the transcribed martial arts of various sects entirely within the Martial Hall.

It could be said that the martial arts collected in the Martial Hall of the Great Li Imperial Palace were ten to a hundred times that of the Scripture Pavilion of the Great Zen Temple.

"Wanting to enter the Martial Hall… that is somewhat troublesome."

Hearing this, the middle-aged monk knitted his brows tightly.

Generally speaking, only imperial family members were qualified to enter the Martial Hall.

This was a rule established by the Great Li Founder back then.

In addition, important officials who had made major contributions to Great Li were also qualified to enter the Martial Hall.

However, Lin Yuan clearly did not meet either of these two points.

Therefore, it was almost impossible for him to have the opportunity to touch the Martial Hall.

The Great Li Dynasty was founded on martial arts and attached extreme importance to various martial arts Secret Manuals.

It was absolutely impossible to casually let an outsider enter a martial arts Holy Land like the Martial Hall.

"It's not that there is no way."

The middle-aged monk slowly said,

"Within the imperial palace, defenses are strict. Sneaking in is definitely impossible."

A trace of dread appeared on the middle-aged monk's face.

As an honored guest of the Empress Dowager, he had some understanding of the Great Li Imperial Palace.

The eight thousand imperial guards within the palace were all Acquired Peak Martial Artists trained through imperial secret methods.

The two hundred deputy commanders were even Innate Realm martial arts Experts.

The eighteen grand commanders were Innate Peak martial arts Experts.

It could be said that this force alone was enough to easily sweep through hundreds of thousands of troops.

Even if a Grandmaster arrived in person, they would be trapped.

In addition,

the middle-aged monk occasionally learned from the Empress Dowager that

at various key nodes of the imperial palace, there were Grandmaster-level martial arts Experts stationed to hold down the fort.

Having constantly entered and exited the imperial palace over the years,

the middle-aged monk roughly deduced that the Grandmasters within the imperial palace were no fewer than four.

Four Grandmasters.

Eighteen Innate Peak Experts.

Two hundred Innate Realm Experts.

Eight thousand Acquired Peak Martial Artists.

This was the strongest trump card of the Great Li Dynasty.

Even if the world fell into corruption and ruin right now, the Great Li Dynasty could still conquer it all over again.

Not to mention that this was only a part of the Great Li Dynasty's trump cards.

Outside the imperial palace, the army suppressing the borders

and the Grandmasters were at the beck and call of the Great Li Dynasty at any time.

"Buddha Child."

"Listen to me."

"Later, you will accompany me into the palace to see the Empress Dowager."

"With my recommendation, the Empress Dowager will definitely look upon the Buddha Child with high regard."

"For the next three months, the Buddha Child should frequently visit the Empress Dowager to become a familiar face."

"Half a year later, at the Emperor's sixtieth birthday, with the Empress Dowager stepping forward to bring you, the Buddha Child, to offer birthday congratulations—"

"At that time, I will offer a Buddhist treasure."

"With the Emperor of Great Li overjoyed, the Buddha Child proposing to enter the Martial Hall for a look will have a very high chance of success."

The middle-aged monk racked his brains and stated the only feasible method currently available.

Logically speaking, outsiders could not enter the Martial Hall.

But if the current Emperor of Great Li permitted it, naturally the question of whether one could enter or not ceased to exist.

As long as Lin Yuan could win the Emperor's favor, entering the Martial Hall was not an impossible matter.

After all, Lin Yuan was merely entering the Martial Hall to take a look; it wouldn't be any loss to the many martial arts classics inside the hall.

"I wonder what the Buddha Child thinks of this?"

The middle-aged monk finished speaking in one breath, and seeing that Lin Yuan did not speak, he asked with some apprehension.

"Not bad indeed."

Lin Yuan nodded.

The middle-aged monk was indeed very attentive.

According to his method, there was a high probability of successfully entering the Martial Hall.

"Only—"

Lin Yuan shook his head again.

"Only what?"

The middle-aged monk asked nervously.

"It's too troublesome."

Lin Yuan's gaze was calm as he looked at the imperial palace not far away.

"Troublesome?"

The middle-aged monk didn't react for a long time.

The plan he had just formulated was already as concise as possible.

Directly taking Lin Yuan to see the Empress Dowager, and then using the Empress Dowager to influence the Emperor.

This was already the fastest way to enter the Martial Hall that the middle-aged monk could think of.

He couldn't possibly go see the Emperor directly, right? Without someone of sufficient weight to recommend him, even the middle-aged monk couldn't see the Emperor, let alone Lin Yuan?

"Just speak directly."

After finishing, Lin Yuan directly took a step forward, took a light breath, and spoke loudly toward the imperial palace.

"This impoverished monk, Hui Zhen, wishes to enter the imperial palace's Martial Hall for a look."

When the first word of his voice was uttered, it was still quite normal,

but starting from the second word, he began to raise his pitch.

By the fifth word, terrifying sound waves spread crazily in all directions.

And when the final word "look" was uttered, it was like the heavens collapsing and the earth splitting, or thunder exploding.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!!!

At this moment, the entire imperial palace was completely enveloped by the terrifying sound waves.

The eight thousand Acquired Peak imperial guards only felt a roaring in their ears, their consciousness scattering.

The eighteen Innate Peak grand commanders bled from their seven orifices and fell to their knees, unable to get up.

Deep within the imperial palace, five Grandmaster-level auras flashed and vanished, attempting to resist the Buddha's sound flooding their ears, but they only lasted for a few breaths before their auras rapidly withered away, devoid of any power to resist.

For a time, the originally heavily guarded Great Li Imperial Palace collapsed into utter disarray, reduced to a heap of loose sand, teetering on the verge of collapse.

"This—"

The middle-aged monk opened his mouth wide.